Running back Jarryd Hayne, the former Australian rugby-league star, impressed in his first action in pads.

He did a nice job there. I didn t know what to expect, running backs coach Tom Rathman said. The first time he hit the (blocking) sled, I thought, Oh gosh, you ve got to be kidding. Then he figured it out, and the second time got better, and the third time got better.

Hayne s first collision in pass-protection drills came against hard-charging linebacker Nick Moody, and Hayne earned kudos from Rathman for his block. In team drills, Hayne blocked blitzing linebacker Shayne Skov into the ground.

“The guy is a work in progress,” Rathman said. “He’s still learning the game and it will take a while.”

Hayne split carries with Carlos Hyde and Mike Davis while Kendall Hunter and Reggie Bush were kept out of team drills for precautionary reasons. Hayne’s best play, aside from his block on Skov, came when he caught a swing pass from Colin Kaepernick and juked cornerback Shareece Wright near the sideline.

Hayne’s ticket to a roster spot is likely as a return specialist, and he showed well in that regard by returning one punt up the field as instructed special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.

— Linebacker NaVorro Bowman had practice off to rest. He instead worked out in the weight room and said he ll be back to practice for Wednesday s session, which moves back to Levi s Stadium after the past two days on the usual training fields.

— The offensive linemen routinely struggled, although Joe Staley and Alex Boone fared OK in Tuesday s first contact drills of training camp, at least when matched up against Aldon Smith and Quinton Dial on consecutive snaps in a breakout session. Smith and Dial excelled in other moments, however.

–Wide receiver Bruce Ellington did not practice after straining his left leg in Monday’s practice. Ellington missed most of the offseason program with a hamstring issue in his other leg.

— Cornerback Shareece Wright intercepted a Kaepernick pass and returned it 30 yards for a would-be touchdown. Eric Reid blitzed on the play. Skov nearly intercepted a Kaepernick pass to Chuck Jacobs later in practice.